Can-Do New Year’s Resolutions
Friday, December 31, 2010 at 5:25PM A friend of mine posted something truly thought-provoking on Facebook today. She wrote:
This year I’m making New Year’s resolutions I know I can keep:
- Gain 10 pounds
- Watch more TV
- Spend less time with the kids
- Get further into debt
If for some weird reason I can't keep them, at least I won’t feel like a loser when I fail. It’s pretty much a win-win situation.
When I read this post, I laughed, and then it got me thinking.
Typically, people set unrealistic New Year’s Resolutions—resolutions that are more like punishments, really. They look at themselves, focus on what they don’t want, and then make a resolution that, essentially, pushes really hard against that Don’t Want.
And then they wonder why they don’t stick with that resolution. Or why they wind up doing just the opposite—like gaining 10 pounds instead of losing 10 pounds, or going further into debt instead of paying off their credit cards.
Why do you suppose that is?
Well, if you’ve heard much about the Law of Attraction, then you know that you get what you think about. And if you’re busy thinking about being overweight or in debt, you will—by law—get more of that.
So rather than try and change the things we don’t like about ourselves this year, why don’t we try a new kind of New Year’s Resolution? Let’s take a cue from my Facebook friend and choose resolutions that feel easy to keep.
In fact, why don’t we focus on one or two (or five or 10) things we really like about ourselves, and choose to be or do more of that in the New Year?
For instance, I like the fact that I’m a kind person. So one of my New Year’s resolutions is: Be kind.
I like the fact that I’m happy and upbeat most of the time. So I choose, in 2011, to: Be happy and upbeat.
I like that I’ve been doing work I really enjoy. So, next year, I resolve to: Do work I really enjoy.
Wow. I feel great about my New Year’s resolutions. I feel confident I can keep them, because I really, really want to keep them—and I have complete faith that I’m capable of keeping them.
Best of all, they truly will make next year even better than 2010.
If you like this idea, try it out and let me know what you choose for your can-do New Year’s resolutions.
In the meantime, Happy New Year! May this be the beginning of your best year yet.
Reader Comments (1)
My resolutions: I won't do anything I really, down to my toes, DO NOT want to do!
I will begin walking again at my harbor in Dana Point, with my birds, sea lions, boats, people/dogs and peace.
Sandy